Releasable end catch for watch bracelets



1954 ca. HARRISON RELEASABLE END CATCH FOR WATCH BRACELETS Filed Aug. 21, 1951 IN V EN TOR. 6 502 66' ///1 ER/SOA/ BY I 4 7 7 OE/VE 75 lll Il 2,693,626 Patented Nov. 9, 1954 RELEASABLE END CATCH FOR WATCH BRACELETS George Harrison, Warwick, R. I., assignor to Brite Manufacturing Co., Providence, R. I., a partnership Application August 21, 1951, Serial No. 242,907 2 Claims. (Cl. 24--240) This invention relates to jewelry such as bracelets, especially ladies watch bracelets, and more particularly to a releasable end catch for the same.

The primary object of the present invention is to generally improve releasable end catches for jewelry items, particularly watchbands or bracelets. A more particular object is to provide such an end catch whichwill be strong and safe, attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, and well adapted for use with ladies wristwatches, which usually have only a single central bail at each end.

about diametrically opposite the slot 44. Preferably and most simply it is pivoted to the ring 40 and the watchband by means of the pivot or eyelet 42 which is also used to connect the ring to the base of the end link.

The sickle-shaped closure 46 is preferably offset to form a detent 48 which is received between the free ends of the open ring 40 when the catch is in closed condition. In the present case the closure 46 is stamped out of sheet metal and is disposed directly beneath the open ring 40. At the pivot or eyelet 42 it is disposed between the ring and the base 38 of the end link. In such case the detent portion 48 is offset upwardly, as is clearly To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the releasable end catch and bracelet elements, and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specication. The specification is accompanied by a drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of an end catch embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the end catch;

Fig. 4 illustrates the method of opening the catch;

Fig. 5 is an end view with the catch open;

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the catch in open condition;

Fig. 7 is a section drawn to enlarged scale and taken approximately in the plane of the line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a section illustrating a detail and is taken approximately in the plane of the line 88 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of an expansion bracelet with end catches of my invention, shown attached to a wristwatch;

Fig. 10 is a bottom view of a modification;

Fig. 11 is an end view of the same; and

Fig. 12 is a bottom view similar to Fig. 10 but showing the catch in open condition.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 9, the end catches l2 and 14 are shown forming a part of an expansion bracelet made up of top links some of which are shown at 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 26, and which are pivoted to bottom links, not visible in Fig. 9, though one is shown at 27 in Fig. 3. The links may be of conventional construction, each comprising a base and a shell, the bases being pivoted together and provided with springs which normally hold the bracelet in contracted dimension. The shells for the lower links are disposed beneath their bases, and the shells for the upper links are disposed above the bases, the latter usually being made of, or plated with, a precious metal.

The watch bracelet terminates in top links 28 and 30, and these end top links are expanded as indicated at 32, 34. The apparent cleft or separating line indicated at 36 in Fig. 1 is merely an indentation for appearance, the actual shape being more clearly evident at 38 in Fig. 3, which shows the base of the end link.

The catches 12 and 14 (Fig. 9) each comprise an open ring 40 (Figs. 1, 4 and 6) having means 42 (Figs. 3, 6 and 7) for attaching the same to the end of the band. The ring 40 is open or slotted at 44 (Figs. 1 and 6) at the portion remote from the band and aligned approximately with the longitudinal axis of the band. The catch further comprises a pivoted hook-shaped or sickleshaped closure 46 which is disposed parallel to the ring 40 and which is shaped to conform approximately to the shape of the ring when in closed position, thereby closing the ring as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 3, in contrast with Fig. 6. The closure 46 is pivoted at a point shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Another part of the closure is ofiset to provide an operating tab shown at 50 in Figs. 5 and 6 and best shown to enlarged scale in Fig. 8. This facilitates opening of the catch, this being done in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4, in which it will be seen that the ring is being held upwardly by the fingers 52 .of one hand, while the detent is being urged downward by the fingers 54 of the other hand. In this way the closure may be moved from the closed position shown "in Figs. 1 through 4 to the open position shown in Figs. 5

and 6, at which time the ring 40 is offset sidewardly somewhat in one direction, while the member 46 is offset sidewardly in the opposite direction.

The relation of the parts at the end link is best shown in Fig. 7, which is a section taken through the pivot or eyelet 42. The base is shown at 38, while the shell, which may be made of or plated with precious metal, is shown at 34. However, before the finishing shell 34 is added to the base 38, the pivoted part 56 of the sickleshaped closure, and the pivoted part 58 of the open ring, are eyeletted to the base by means of the eyelet 42. Thereafter the shell 34 is added, thus completing the assembly.

It will be seen that this constitutes a sturdy and simple mechanism which may be assembled at minimum cost. The closure may be and preferably is made of a resilient metal such as phosphor bronze, thereby improving the detent action caused by the detent portion 48, and guarding against possible loss of the desired detent action.

A minor modification of the releasable catch is illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, referring to which it may be explained thatthe end link of the expansion band is the same as previously described. It includes a base 60 and covering shell 62 which may be the same as before, and which similarly receive an open ring 64 and a sickleshaped closure 66 by means of a single eyelet 68, all as previously described.

Moreover, the closure 66 may be offset upwardly to provide a detent portion 70, and a part of the closure may be struck downwardly to provide an operating tab 72. The change from closed to open condition is shown in Figs. 10 and 12. In the present case the tab 72 is bent downwardly from one edge of the closure instead of being struck from an intermediate portion, as previously described. Also in the present case the closure terminates at one end of the detent portion 70, instead of being extended as previously described. Both of these changes are minor, but illustrate variants in structure, either or both of which may be employed.

It is believed that the construction and method of use of my improved releasable end catch, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described the invention in several preferred forms, changes may be made in the structures disclosed, without departing from the scope of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A releasable end catch for a relatively long flexible jewelry item, said end catch comprising a rigid open ring having means for attaching it to the end of the jewelry item, said ring being permanently and fixedly open or slotted at the portion diametrically opposite the item and aligned with the longitudinal axis of the item, said ring in its entirety being a single integral flat piece of metal, and a pivoted sickle-shaped closure cooperating with said ring and having a bluntly pointed end, the open end portion of said closure being disposed beneath the ring and rlsi'eingshapd to eoiiform to the shape of the ring when in.closed.position,tbnLhaidngtanrnpwardlynstepped detent portion dimensioned to fit between the free ends of the ring at the slot and thereby bridging the opening or :tslotdnnorderyto elosettherring said closureebeigg formed outtrbiflee'silienthSheet ,metal lafid b'eingepivotdi to-Lthe ,jringtandthe' itemdatla .point,s'.ubstantially.sonithe axislof the Zitem,l'.the ppen .lend portion...of saidlielosureaandlthe ..-slottd..portionriofisaid ringilbeipggcurvtedsiabout.saichpivot ,of said closuret-asaamenter, wherebyfitheablosure moves .pbint1'foremost overlltheppenring with theppen erid poralioniof lithetelosurenmoving,glongitlidinailly of itselL rin t order. torenablemiutqpass .rea'dilyJhrou'ghadimited openniggdcatch comprising" a rigid open ting I. having .a pivotlior .rfpermanefitlygpivotailytattabliingitto 'the end; of: a .watch- Lbafld,-. said fringlbeingipermanentlyt aiidJfiXe'GIyeopentQr 'ci'slotte'd atitheportion;ftilizuneti'icillyv opposite the pivotand -iligned.ii'lith;ltlaellon'gitt'iiiinal axis :of thewatchband said iits. entiretylbei ng :a single; integralliflat piecetof I metal saidtslottd portionlthavingna' cumature. abouttthe pivot'asacenterg midi-1a pivotedisickleshaped ,closure 1co- 1peratingwith said. ringandhavinga.bluntlypointedetid,

.ltheiopenrefid portion fit saidaclosurenbeingidisposdfhe- -i neath 'thelringaixdlheingshapd to. eonfomnto theishape .iofithetring whentin-tclosed position, butl-havingrantnpiwardlyssteppedfietent por tiomdimen'sione'd .tolfibhetween "the'free ends of'thelingtatihefslot andtherebyl'rbridging Wthetopening ortslotgin .oider itoiclosei'the iing,.,sa'id="clo- I.l2 .-A r'eleasabler'end catehlIoriahwatchband,.tsaidhemd '24 sure beingformed out of resilient sheet metal and being apivotedilonthemr ngeanddhe-watchbandhatha-pointsubstantially on the axis of the band by means of the same pivot as is used to connectfithe ring to the band, said pivot being located approximately at the radius of curvature of the open end portion of the closure, whereby the latter moves point foremostmwer the open ring with the open end portion of the closure moving longitudinally of itSeIfJLinmfder-im enzibleiliflzto :passrmeidilyfthrough a limited opening suchiastarswat'chibail, a portion of said closure being struck downwardlyuat a location remote -""'-from thepoint-'to gprovide ian gperating-"tab to facilitate opening of said= eri'd eat'ch. 

